Her maiden name was Bennett.
“That trust owns patents.”
“It owns more than patents,” Rebecca said.
“Since when?”
“Since your Series B restructuring.”
“That was five years ago.”
“Yes.”
“I would know.”
Grace spoke.
“You signed it.”
Ethan turned toward her.
She continued.
“You needed my father’s routing software to secure the West Coast shipping contracts. His estate wouldn’t transfer ownership outright, so the patents were placed in trust. You received an exclusive operating license. In exchange, the trust received preferred equity.”
“That equity was supposed to dilute.”
“It did.”
Grace tilted her head.
“Just not as much as you thought.”
Ethan looked through the documents.
His breathing changed.
A little faster.
A little shallower.
“What does Pierce have to do with this?”
Declan answered.
“My company purchased seventeen percent of your senior secured debt yesterday.”
Ethan looked at him.
“You what?”
“Seventeen percent.”
“That debt wasn’t for sale.”
